Settlement to welcome circus for a 7th year

For the seventh straight year, the circus is coming to Naper Settlement.

The one-ring traveling show stops there Sept. 20 to 22 and will feature a band, aerialists and clowns. Other acts include the Perez family aerobatics, jugglers and performers doing stunts.

"Circuses first came to Naperville in the middle of the 19th Century and this event is a way to continue that tradition," said Jeanne Thompson, marketing coordinator for Naper Settlement. "It's our mission to offer preservation education, particularly about things related to the 19th Century, and the circus is one of the local things that dates back that far."

The event will also feature daily demonstrations of at least 25 carousel organs, ranging in size from a small music box to a one-ton organ.

As in past years, a circus elephant will raise the tent at 9 a.m. Sept. 20.

For $30 per person, visitors can attend a Family Fun Night on Sept. 20 that includes a buffet dinner, magician Michael Kett's The Wow Show, pony rides and a special 7 p.m. circus performance.

Advance tickets are required and seating is limited.

Other performances will be held at 11 a.m., 2 and 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 and at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Sept. 22. Advance tickets are $11, $10 for senior citizens and $9 for kids 4 to 17. All tickets cost $1 more at the gate.

Tickets may be purchased at the Pre-Emption House lobby desk, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville, or by calling 630-305-5555. Tickets will also be on sale at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. An order form for Family Fun Night and circus tickets are also posted at www.napersettlment .org. The form can be printed and returned to Naper Settlement by mail or fax, 630-305-5255.